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Studies About Motivation
Studies about motivation really have their roots in branches of psychology. A number of psychology text books circa 1981 described motivation as:-
- internal state or condition that activates behaviour and gives it direction;
- desire or want that energizes and directs goal-oriented behaviour;
- influence of needs and desires on the intensity and direction of behaviour.
In 1994, Franken provided a further insight:-
- the arousal, direction, and persistence of behaviour
This all sounds very technical (and it is), but in a nutshell, the studies about motivation revolve around how much external or internal influences affect our behaviour. To revert back to technical terms again, the source(s) of motivation can be categorized as either extrinsic (outside the person) or intrinsic (internal to the person). Intrinsic sources can be further subcategorised as either body/physical, mind/mental (i.e., cognitive, affective, conative) or transpersonal/spiritual.
Many theories abound regarding the influences that affect motivation. But at the end of the day, what really counts is the practical element, what affects motivation in a practical sense. What people want to know is how can they motivate their employees? Or perhaps how can they motivate themselves to lose weight. or to make some sort of change to their lives.
One fairly common technique is that of visualization. An athlete might visualize themselves crossing the finish line for example. Repeated visualisation of this scenario might eventually teach the mind and body to fulfil the visualization.
Another good suggestion is to surround yourself with positive people. Negativity will permeate your world all too easily, and will certainly adversely affect you. Positive people will support and help you, so if you want to motivate yourself, get positive people around you to help you do it.
Another tip might seem a bit obvious, but it does make a difference. That tip is to be healthy. Eat well and exercise. If you feel well, you will be well and act well. Your mind will reflect the well being of your body, and you will find yourself energised and ready to tackle anything.
